Christmas 1910s style

Australia began the 1910s with innocence but by decade’s end any innocence had gone, snatched away at faraway places unheard of in 1910 like Gallipoli, Fromelles and Beersheba. Children hanging Christmas stockings in 1910 ended the decade without fathers, brothers or even their own lives. The decade started with the usual, even frivolous reports about matters such as fruit supplies and ended with life trying to adjust back to those carefree times, but with the stark evidence of missing faces at the Christmas dinner table.

Fruit was in abundance for Christmas 1910 with oranges from Spain, bananas and pears from France and California. Shoppers could also buy novelty fruits such as avocado and persimmons.

Christmas 1911 saw the shops of Colac go all out with their window displays. Mr Stephen’s Enterprise House was the place to go for grocery and homewares supplies. He stocked hams and cheeses and a range of Christmas delicacies and even a new fly-killing preparation, essential for an insect free Christmas lunch in Australia. Mr Stephens also stocked a range of alcohol including Seppelt’s wine, port and sherry.

Christmas Eve 1911 in Portland saw the usual hustle and bustle. It was an evening to catch up with old friends back in Portland for Christmas while children soaked up the festive atmosphere. The Ozone Coffee Place was just one of the shops with an elaborate window display of lollies and sweets. By evening the butchers and bakers had sold out of their goods.

In 1912, the Colac Herald noted the change in Christmas gifts and cards over the years. Christmas cards with traditional English Christmas scenes had given way to gifts such as books by Dickens, Kipling and Thackeray all available cheaply. Books of Adam Lindsay Gordon’s poetry were also a popular gift in 1912. Likewise for children, toys had changed. Toy planes and modern toy soldiers pushed leaden soldiers aside.

The Colac Herald acknowledged those suffering during the Christmas season due to the war.

“We have reason to hope that out of this season of deepest trial, of cruel warfare and of untold suffering, there will come a day when the world will be assured of years of peace, when not so much consideration will be given to weapons of warfare, but the thoughts of mankind will be turned more and more to improving the conditions under which so many people have to live.”

During Christmas 1914, Australians felt there was hope the war, the big adventure, would be over by Christmas 1915. Instead, by the time that Christmas came around the realities of the Great War had come home, with the horrors of Gallipoli the awakening. Christmas thoughts turned overseas, with the comforts of the soldiers on that December day utmost in the minds of family. Christmas billies and packages were sent overseas to give the boys a touch of home.

The Lady Mayoress of Melbourne placed an order for 37, 000 Christmas puddings for the troops. Country folk could send 1s 3d to the Patriotic League and a card would be attached to a pudding with the donor’s details and the key to open the tin.

A Christmas Box Wanted From You was the catch cry in September 1916. How nice, what a lovely thought. But it was not a Christmas pudding or biscuits the boys wanted in their boxes from home. They wanted tobacco and a lot of it, especially as the Army was spending £25,000 a day on tobacco and cigarettes.

A call went out to country folk to give poultry for Christmas 1918. The goal was 1000 pair of victory chickens for soldiers in hospital in and around Melbourne. Dispatch centres were set up in towns such as Timboon, Port Fairy, Macarthur and Penshurst.

The last Christmas of the 1910s went off with a bang for the residents of some Western Victorian towns. Residents of Clear Lake, Vectis and Hamilton to name a few saw a heavenly body come to earth on Christmas Day 1919.